th, from which the
thick, black lips seemed to writhe away, he bent low amid his horse's
mane and, with an inarticulate cry, urged him straight at the veteran.
His javelins had all been expended in breaking through the Roman line,
and a short, heavy dagger was his only weapon. Nothing daunted, he came
on, evaded like a flash the thrust of Decius' spear, and hurled himself
upon him. It was the small buckler of the Roman that saved his life; the
dagger passed through the ox-hide, slightly gashing his arm, and, before
the barbarian could withdraw it, the impact of the horses in full career
had sent both men and animals to the plain in a floundering heap. Again
the Numidian was quicker, and, gaining his feet, he sprang, weaponless as
he was, upon the decurion still struggling to untangle himself from his
fallen horse. The buckler, with the African's knife thrust through it,
had rolled away, and the possession of Decius' sword, which hung in its
sheath upon his right thigh, became the object of the struggle. Perhaps
the strength of the men was not very unequal; but the Roman, hardly free
from his mount, was undermost and wounded, so that the result seemed
hardly doubtful. The Numidian's charger had risen to its feet, and
stood, with out-stretched neck, whinnying softly, as if sharing in the
excitement of the contest. Then the trampling of hoofs sounded in the
ears of the straining combatants. Decius felt his adversary make a
convulsive effort as if to free himself, and then a gush of something
warm came into the Roman's face, and his foe sank down upon him, limp and
helpless. With a last effort of his spent strength, he pushed the
twitching body aside, and, staggering to his feet, saw Sergius standing
beside him, with a dripping sword in his hand, and the bridle of Titus
Icilius', the flag-bearer's, horse thrown over his left arm.

Remounting, they rode slowly back to their troop, and then the cause of
the strange boldness of the fugitives was disclosed. Advancing across
the plain directly in the path of their flight came four hundred of the
allied cavalry, whom the dictator had sent out to reconnoitre, and,
caught thus between two lines, the Numidians had, for the most part,
chosen to take their chances against the weaker force. Not one of the
marauders was alive, but they had sold their lives dearly; for a dozen of
the Romans also were dead, and a score more showed wounds that marked
this last spasm of barbarian